In a turn of events that surprised many, McLaren Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh has announced the signing of former McLaren employee and current Infinity/Red Bull lead aerodynamicist Peter Prodromou. While many may see this as a gigantic signing that could have dramatic effects on the success of Team McLaren in 2014, Infinity/Red Bull's Team Principal Christian Horner says, not so fast.
With undertones that more 'big name' signings are to come for the struggling McLaren team, Red Bull's press reps are reemphasizing the fact that Prodromou is still under contract with them. "Peter is a valued member of the team, and he is making a valuable contribution,' said Horner. "The content of any contract obviously is confidential, but the duration of his contract runs for quite a while yet.
"We are certainly in no rush to release him early and he will be with the team until the end of his existing agreement," Horner added. While Horner may have some issues with the way this transition for Prodromou may be going down, he must also remember that this is precisely how Horner acquired him from McLaren back in 2005, essentially stealing him from McLaren while still under contract.
Moves within F1 teams are common each year, with crew members and team management personnel making moves as frequently as drivers, just without so many headlines. While Red Bull downplays this inevitable loss of Prodromou, it may be more than just his loss that lingers.
Talking to people in the paddock on race days, it is common knowledge that Ferrari has been vying for the services of Red Bull's Horner for some time, offering what has been reported as obscene amounts of money. Knowing that Horner could be on his way out at any time, Prodromou has been being groomed to take over for Horner as Team Principal at Infinity/Red Bull upon his departure. That no longer seems to be the case.
Look for this event to mark a couple of significant events in F1. Firstly, Horner will probably be at Red Bull for many years to come. Additionally, with the second advent of the Turbo V6 era upon us in 2014, this may very well signal the beginning of the end of Infinity/Red Bull dominance.
Tom Spithaler
F1 Editor: USA
McLaren/Red Bull Battle Over Aerodynamicist
- Published on 15 Oct 2013 18:01
-
1
- By: Tom Spithaler
.
Trending news
-
Nike reportedly working on F1 return after two decadesNike is exploring a return to Formula 1 after more than two decades away from the paddock, with early-stage talks cen...
01 Sep 2026 16:25 -
How Liam Lawson's Zandvoort drive may have rescued his F1 futureLiam Lawson may have salvaged his Formula 1 career with a composed performance at the Dutch Grand Prix, according to ...
01 Sep 2026 15:23 -
Sainz baffled by Verstappen's thoughts on early F1 retirementCarlos Sainz has expressed genuine confusion at Max Verstappen's repeated consideration of early retirement from ...
01 Sep 2026 14:21 -
Why Lando Norris' New McLaren Role Could Pressure PiastriLando Norris has signalled his intention to become McLaren's undisputed leader, citing growing influence over tea...
01 Sep 2026 13:20 -
Betting on the F1 season: reading the odds and building a race-day strategyFollowing an entire Formula 1 season means constantly reassessing the competitive order. A car that excels through Mo...
01 Sep 2026 14:23
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
4 - Sep 6
Italy
Monza
11 - Sep 13
Spain
Madring
Team profile
- Team name Ferrari
- Base Maranello, Italy
- Kimi Räikkönen 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Felipe Massa 2
- Fernando Alonso 3
- Felipe Massa 3
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Felipe Massa 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Sebastian Vettel 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Felipe Massa 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Felipe Massa 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 7
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 511,923 comments on Ferrari
284 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Ferrari
Replies (1)
Login to reply